RV Life

i have been meaning to journal our rv adventures and share ALL of our highs and lows, but ya know, life happens, and it doesn't stop. so here we are...nine months into our journey. i could write a whole book on our breakdowns/set backs. i think we have broken down or something has happened on every major drive we have set off on. on our way to zion our trailer fender (ya know, the trailer that is just carrying our car) got bent up under the wheel and completely shredded the tire up. it took us a couple of days to figure out that one. we found some guy that rebuilt our trailer fenders and we had to get all new wheels for the trailer. on our way to california we broke down in the middle of the night in death valley. one of our fuel lines broke. we found a mechanic to come out and he magically had the right part, fixed us right there on the side of the freeway, and got us up and running within a couple of hours. luckily, our kids were asleep through the whole thing. i could go on....really. i have some good stories. we had to boondock it in texas for a few days while we waited for another part to get in. but mostly our stories end up about how people have screwed us over with the initial purchase, remodeling, and some shady mechanics...and i don't want to dwell on that because then i think how sucky people are. when really a lot of these events have turned out to help us see that there are some really really good people in this world too.

april 2019

august 2018

from this...

to this.

a lot of people ask us why did we decided to go live in an rv....it definitely wasn't to save money, because um, getting this guy up and going seems like we could have bought a mansion by now;)...and really we had never known of rv life before this. neither of us have lived in one, camped in one, or ever owned one before harvey...oh, harvery is our rv.  river named him the day we bought him. the name suits him. harvey is an old soul. 20 years old to be exact. so we were talking one night and decided we needed a shift. is life really all about getting married, having kids, getting a home, and living in it for the rest of your life? maybe for some people. but not for us. we have never lived inside the box, ya know. we had our little girl (thats one of the main reasons we came back to Utah) and we decided it was time for a new adventure. another reason was to see if we could really do it. ya know, live a minimalist lifestyle (which has been soooo freeing), and ultimately live in 40ft of each other. we like a good challenge. haha. to say its been a dream and super easy would be a lie, but it has been eye opening, made us grow in more ways than we could have ever imagined, and given us some of the best experiences with our kids...and that, that is what it is all about. our kids. giving them experiences. this journey is a part of them now. we have driven across the u.s with harvey and have learned so much a long the way. who knows when we are going to stop. people are always asking us what our next plan is...but guess what, we don't have one. that use to scare me. but i am a little wiser now. sometimes it is good not to have a plan all the time. it leaves a little more room for growth, possibility, and adventure.

so here's to adventure.

xo

5.5

five and a half. i had to write that out to believe it. this boy blows me away every single day. his imagination and creativity keep us going from sunrise to sunset (why do my kids wake up soooo early...haha, but seriously.). he is constantly asking questions and remembers everything, and i mean, every thing. life on the road has been so good for river...he has become more independent and has been given a lot more opportunities to get out of his comfort zone. he has to make new friends all the time, talk to new people/neighbors, and gained so much experience as we have explored the u.s in havery the rv. river loves rv life. he loves his bunk bed, animals, drawing, his grandpa, being outside, bike rides, soccer, crafts, and he could probably build legos allllllll day long. recently we have been reading the harry potter series together and it has been a dream come true (i love the books so much), and he is super into it. for the past two days he has dressed up as snape and made a dungeon in our bathroom and makes me learn spells and mix potions. its the best. haha. i told him when we finish the first book i will take him to universal studios to see it all, and now we are already on the second book so i better get him over there!

exploring florida these past few months, river has become so much more comfortable in the water. hallelujah. he has become a little fish. just give him some flippers and he's good to go. my favorite part about the past six months though is seeing river really grow into the role of big brother. you are such an amazing and caring big bro to your baby sis! yes, you two love to tease each other, but the way you talk to each other, and listen to each other is my favorite thing. you love to teach rumi and man, you are such a good teacher.

river, thank you for pushing me to be a better version of myself everyday. thank you for teaching me patience (sometimes...most of the time...the hard way;)), but mostly thank you for forgiving me time and time again. i love being your mom, but sometimes i have no idea if i am doing it right...for you. i know you were meant for me and i was meant for you. my love for you is unconditional and forever, to infinity and beyond.

you are smart. you are brave. you are important. 

and you are oh so loved.

xo